Superpowers GCSE

• how did the soviet union collapse and the consequences?

  -Brezhnev Doctrine over SS broke free (no threat or violence)

  -Warsaw Pact ended 1990

  -Europe no longer divided, didn't have to follow rules

  -no arms race, iron curtain ends

  -Gorbachev falls in 1991 due to hard strict communism
• what were the consequences of the Berlin wall fall?

  -people reunited after 30 years

  -huge symbolic event

  -other soviet states now felt confident to gain freedom,
• When did the Berlin Wall fall?

  9th November 1989
• what were the consequences of Gorbachevs reforms overall?

  tension and regression reduced
• describe Gorbachev's economic reform

  1) allowed business to make profit -people felt happier

  2) allowed opposition parties to run against communist government allowed media to be truthful - TVs now showed difference of East and West

  3) Withdrew troops from Afghanistan, Soviet/ communism look weak

  4) spend less money on nuclear weapons- soviets looked weak
• why was the soviet union weak 1985-6?

  -Brezhnev died in 1982

  -2 leaders after him died shortly after power

  -1986, nuclear explosion. (very embarrasing for them)
• who was the new soviet leader in 1985 what problems did he face?

  Gorbachev

  -left with a huge debt

  -standard of living was very poor

  -lack of freedom of speech
• what were the consequences of Reagan's SDI?

  -soviets now believed their nuclear missiles were pointless and realised how weak their economy was

  -US believed they'd win the arms race

  -Reagan increased spending on armed forced and weapons by 13%

  -US looked very powerful
• what did Ronald Reagan do and why?

  -said the Soviets were and evil empire,

  strategic defence initiative 1983:

  -US would place satellites in space, shoot down soviet missiles

  -Reagan told the world it was ready

  -it wasn't it was a lie
• what were the consequences of (long term) of the invasion

  -Detente officially and definitely over

  -Regan new president 1980

  -Boycotted 1980 Olympics (in USSR)
• how did the US react to invasion of Afghanistan?

  -Carter claimed it was the biggest r threat to world peace since WW2

  -Carter withdrew from, SALT 2
• narrate the invasion of Afghanistan

  -Soviet Union worried that muslim fundamentalists (mujahedeed) in Afghanistan might attack USSR

  -Despite a government which support Soviets taking over Afghanistan in April 1978, in September 1979 muslim fundamentalists took over by force

  -24th December 1979 Soviets invaded, and assassinated the leader on the 27th

  -soviet troops stayed in Afghanistan for nearly 10 years

  -1.5 billion Afghan Casulties
• what happened in December 1979 and what were the consequences?

  -soviets invaded Afghanistan

  -symbolised the end of Detente

  -Carter (US president) refused to sign SALT 2
• what was the relationship between US and USSR like late 1970s and why?

  -weak, lack of trust, increased communist support, political pressure
• what and when was SALT 2


  June 1979

  -further restriction limits on missiles and bombers
• what were the consequences of SALT 1?

  -if there was war it is unlikely that either side would stick to SALT (still owned nuclear weapons)

  -showed peace

  -reduced likelihood of war

  -symbolic importance
• what and when was SALT 1?

  May 1972

  -Anti ballistic missile treaty

  -only allowed in 2 sides and of a max of 100 missiles each

  -Intrim Treaty- restricted number of long range missiles allowed

  -Basic Principle Agreement- wherein missiles could be placed
• Why did Detente happen?

  -American public against Vietnam war

  -over 6000 soldier deaths., inequality problems eg Martin Luther King

  -USSR poor living standards, nuclear weapons too expensive
• what were the consequences of the Prague Spring

  -Brezhnev Doctrine 1968

  -if any communist country attempted freedom warsaw troops would be sent in

  -USA made public protest, showed that the US wouldn't actually act against USSR

  -communist parties in France and Italy cut links with USSR
• when did Warsaw troops invade Prague and what happened?

  -20th August 1968

  -500,000 troops invaded and stopped Prague Spring

  -Dubcek arrested and replaced
• how did Brezhnev respond to Prague Spring?

  -ordered his western troops to carry out military practice outside Czechoslovakia
• what reforms did Dubcek make? (prague spring)

  1968 April:

  -less censorship

  -trade unions allowed

  -travel freedom

  -government control of land and industry relaxed
• what was introduced to Czechoslovakia during this?

  -new leader: Dubcek who said "socialism with a human face"

  -wanted to stay in Warsaw Pact but still improve living
• what was the state of Czechoslovakia in?

  -few goods, fuel, poor economy, no freedom of speech, poor standard of living, opposed Soviet Control
• what were the consequences of the cuban missile crisis

  -war was avoided, Kennedy was loved in the US

  -a hotline was set up between Moscow and Washington set up

  -1953 Test Ban Treaty (stop testing nuclear weapons)

  -1967 Outer Space Treaty (not use nuclear weapons in space)

  -Khrushchev sacked 1964
• narrate the 13 days, 16th-18th October 1962


  1) meeting on the 16th October, believed nuclear war would start

  2) 22nd October, Kennedy decided not to attack

  3)set up naval blockade around Cuba

  4) announced the plans on the TV

  5) USA worried

  6) Kennedy prepared 54 bombs incase

  7) 24th October Soviet Ships retreated

  8) Telegram from Khrushchev, Soviets agreed to remove missiles, if USA promised not to invade Cuba and remove missiles from Turkey
• what were the consequences of what was found

  missiles would be active in 2 weeks, US putting a lot of pressure on Kennedy
• What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  -1961 US spy planes photograph launch pads in Cuba

  -CIA told Kennedy that Soviet ship were sailing to Cuba with missiles
• what were the consequences of the Bay Of Pigs

  -USA humiliated (Castro showed photos all over the world)

  -looked like the US wanted to invade

  -increased popularity of communism

  -khrushchev gave Cuba more weapons
• Describe the Bay of Pigs invasion.

  -April 1961

  -1400 ex cuban exiled invaded Bay Of Pigs

  -aimed to remove Castro and communist government

  Failed:

  -had limited military knowledge

  -USA couldn't supoort

  -Castro was prepared 20,000 Cuban Soldiers prior to the attack
• what were the consequences of the cuban revolution

  -a communist government was now only 145 miles away from USA

  -Eisenhower banned all trade and political relationships with Cuba in 1961
• what was the cuban revolutions impact on the cold war

  -any land owned by the US in Cuba was put back under Cuban Control

  -Castro puts communists in government

  -1960 Khrushchev and Castro agreed to trade Cuban sugar for economic aid

  -Secret agreement that Cuba would receive USSR weapons
• What caused the Cuban Revolution?

  1959- a group in Cuba brought down government who supported America
• describe JFK's visit to Berlin in June 1963


  -he was treated like a rockstar

  -"Ich Bin Erin Berliner"

  -gained a good reputation, said a wall was better than a war
• name and date the 4 summit meetings between 1959-61


  1) Geneva Summit May 1959 spoke about Berlin, nothing agreed

  2) Camp David September 1959, Eisenhower and Khrushchev got along, Khrushchev agreed for no more Berlin Ultimatum terms and it displayed y they had a better relationship

  3) Pairs May 1960 Soviets just shot down the US spy plane, Eisenhower refused to apologise, Khrushchev walked out of the summit

  4)Vienna June 1961, JFK was president and Khrushchev did not trust him, Berlin Ultimatum terms back on, weakened relationship
• what were the consequences of the Berlin Wall?

  -130 people killed trying to cross the wall

  -friends and families divided

  -west berlin fire service helped east germans escape
• describe the event of the Berlin Wall

  -12th August 1961

  -Khrushchev ordered the building of the Berlin Wall

  -first it was a barbed wire fence as they built the concrete

  —it was 165km around the city

  -b y October 1961 it was built
• what happened despite the Berlin Ultimatum that caused the Berlin Wall?

  -August 1961

  -on one day there was 40,000 refugees

  -the relationship between USSR and USA was weak
• how did Khrushchev respond to refugee problem?

  November

  -Khrushchev demanded that Western troops removed from East Berlin

  -Berlin should become a free city- he gave them 6 months and threatened to take over all transport routes

  -this was the Berlin Ultinatum
• what were the consequences of the refugee problem?

  -an embarrassment for Soviet Union

  -people openly choosing capitalism > communism